Gayatri is one of the meters used by the poets of the Rigveda for composing the verses. The verse which has got the name Gayatri Mantra is the tenth verse of chapter 62 in Mandal 3. This Mandal is the work of Jamadagni family. This verse has been written in praise of Deva Savitah who was the security chief of the regions liberated from the Asurs by the allied forces of the Devas and the Aryas. Deva Savitah was well informed of all the on going battles and the immense destruction and sufferings caused to the people. The rishis having gathered the information from Savitah passed it on to the Devas in the Yagnas (meetings).
The verse is as follows:
tat saviturvarenyam bhargodevasya dhimahi
dhiyo yo nah prachodyat
In Gayatri Mantra the following has been added in the beginning:
Om bhurbhvah svah
The meanings of the words given below are from Monier Williams dictionary:
tat = that ; Savituh = of Deva Savitah ; Varenyam = wishful, desirable
bhargo = (root = bhree) destruction ; devasya = of the Deva; dhimahi (rt=dha) to
acquire; dhiyo = (rt.=dhi) the songs, the narration ; yo= which ; nah = our ;
prachdyat = (rt= chud) exciting, hair-raising
Let us acquire the most desirable information about the destruction due to wars from Deva Savitah so that our songs shall be hair-raising in the Yagna meetings.
If we add bhur bhuvah svah to it the meaning will be as follows:
Let us acquire the most desirable information about the destruction of the regions bhu, bhuvah and Svah from Deva Savitah so that our songs shall be hair-raising in the Yagna meetings.
(Note: North India was divided into seven provinces viz. bhu, bhuvah, svah,mah, janah, tapah and Satyam)
For more information see:
Rigveda, The Rise of Aryan Power (www.swedix.org)
Saturday, July 4, 2009
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2 comments:
Dr. Nigam,
Is Zarathustra mentioned in the Vedas? He sounds similar to Shukra, the asur king or better known as the demon king in the texts. Both the Iranian and the Veda records narrate the struggle between Devas and asurs. Does that place Zoroastrianism somewhere in the 12000 to 100000 BC?
Can you help me in solving this?
Esther Bhardwaj
Dear Esther
In verse 2.11.18 in rigveda, it is mentioned that the Asur ruler in India was the son of Arnwabha (or Arnwandha ?). This dynasty ruled Asur empire from 1420-1400 B.C. Therefore it will not be incorrect to say that the struggle between the Devas and the Asuras mentioned in rigveda are from this period. I have not found any mention of Zarathustra in Rigveda so far,
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